St. Patrick's Day

I haven't been posting lately.  I have pictures but first, this writing is just for me, it's words and remembering.  Spring time has been creeping up on us and I just can't get myself to hold still and post!  It feels great to be on the ball, happy, healthy and making some big decisions.  We have some major changes coming soon - hopefully next week.  But who knows, it always takes longer than you hope.  These things take forever.  You can talk and talk about it and then wake up the next day and feel differently!  Lately I've wanted to record some things and just haven't found the time.  Thank goodness I've been running to facebook to write down some of Brynlee's funny comments.  I can just copy and paste them into my book when I have time.  Brynlee is learning so much.  Every holiday gets more and more fun with her.  We had our green dinner and painted our toes green last night.  We soaked our wheat grass (was hard to explain a tree can grow from a seed).  Then we tried to catch a leprechaun last night but he got away from us!  She was in heaven following where he went and listening to his note and goodies.  We biked downtown for a 3+ hour parade, great food, face paining, fire juggling and walking.  Then we got Paige's Dairy Icecream on the way home.  It was the perfect day!  I was sitting there with Teddy cuddling in a front pack and Brynlee yelling Happy St Patrick's Day to everyone that passed at the Point and just felt like yelling to Heavenly Father - "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  I've been close to tears a few times recently.  It's that time of a year for my annual check up and mri from my oncologist and I just remember sitting in that same office so stunned and petrified that I looked down and wondered how Brynlee would survive.  Now I'm back in the office with TWO kids laughing and playing.  I don't care what people think - I WILL ALWAYS remind others to be grateful for life.  For health.  And for happiness.  It takes a second, literally, for all of that to be taken away.  I know that God expects more out of me now - more selflessness.  And honestly every night I don't ask to make the right decision of which job to take...I'm just praying that he will send me to a place where I can serve in and out of the church.  I've asked myself over and over how I can give back - it's not like I don't go a few days without remembering 2 yrs ago.  And besides trying to be the best mom - it's got to be serving in and out of the church.  Anyways.  I will and do remind my kids to thank God everyday for the big and little and I hope that I can be a good example of serving - better than I am now.  And I guess that is what this post is about.  I want to remember right now how humble and grateful I am, going through these changes in life.  I'm so thankful for the relationships and lessons I've learned here in Pittsburgh, for the good and bad memories that have made our family inseparable.  Honestly, that is why I feel like I could live far away from family again.  I want to cry every time it's someone's birthday or a big event cause I feel like I'm missing out.  But, there is a closeness and dependence that you gain when you live away that makes your family so close.
Brynlee and Teddy have been best friends lately.  It's cute to watch Callen recognize and encourage her teasing and high pitched/loud coo-ing.  She can make him stop crying by just holding his hand.  Teddy stayed 30% in weight and jumped to 75% in height.  He is rolling over and finally started semi-laughing. He always grunted and would smile so big but not bubbling sounding laughs were coming out.  I love it!  He is pretty ticklish and his skin is so sensitive.  He always has a rash somewhere on his head but I'm not complaining too much cause both of his tear ducts are healed. I never worry about Brynlee with Teddy, as long as she can reach him I feel assured.  It's when she can't help him or give him something that i get nervous.  I've been teaching Brynlee some joyschool lessons that I'm just googling online and getting from my mom's books.  There are so many basic lessons that are new for her!  Like city rules vs. family rules.  I swear that all these lessons are coming back to bite me.  Like the feelings lesson - now she tells me I hurt her feelings and the city rules one - she now tells me when I don't make a complete stop at a stop sign!  But it's still so fun to teach her and watch her learn. We got to go home this past month and it just made me realize how much I've missed by living out here.  It's sad.  I will always look at this time in Pittsburgh as some of the best, cause I know that life will just get harder.  Or I should say you just learn more and more in life.
Brynlee's favorite part of the whole day - watching the flame thrower while eating fries.

 Brynlee kept pinching my bum cause she said my shirt was yellow - not green!  Thanks dad!

 Coming home from closing on our house!  Felt great to take the sign down and be renters!

 We have had a few evenings in the park with the 70 degree weather!

 We went to the temple last week in Columbus and had to stop at the Cabela's on the way.  They have the an awesome fake zoo.  I officially lost Brynlee in a store to the point of panic!  Scary.

 FYI you can fit a toddler and car seat in a bike-trailer.  The poor trailer has been through better times!

 My favorite part of every bike-ride = crossing the bridges.

 I'm kind of surprised I didn't get any alcohol spilled on me!  But this was the 3+ hour parade!

 Pittsburgh loves their drinking holidays!  It was packed to the end of the buildings!

Untitled from Nicole Gneiting on Vimeo.